Sunday, December 17, 2017

Catching Up on the Blog: Dec. 13th, Odessa TX

I didn't sleep very well on the night of the 12th, but I was up bright and early to meet my host, Dr. Bob Brescia, in the lobby of the hotel just after 7am. I knew that morning that things were catching up with me, because I didn't feel rested at all and I felt pretty bad. But  Bob had a full day of activities planned, starting with a radio interview at 7am on a local talk/news station.  The show is hosted by a conservative woman and a more liberal man, but I didn't let them get me talking politics.  The show was a nice way to promote the public children's concert in the afternoon and it was a nice time and I did appreciate the air time and publicity.

Then there was a bit of free time so I went back to the hotel and tried to nap, but I just couldn't fall asleep. Dr. Bob picked me up around 10:30 and brought me over for a tour of the John Ben Sheppard Public Leadership Institute, of which is he is the executive director.  It was fascinating.  One of the things they do there is train students in crisis decision making, and they have an actual "war room" where simulations are carried out in real time and the students role play decision makers.  You can find out more about it here: https://shepperdinstitute.com/  I was very impressed. I also really enjoyed meeting the staff there. They were all so nice and helpful.  I have to mention Clay Finley, the Associate Director, who gave me the tour with Dr. Bob. He was so serious when I met him and then before too long he was cracking me up with his dry sense of humor.  It was really great!  A highlight of the tour for me was seeing their collection of Presidential bobblehead dolls. I know that doesn't sounds like it goes with the other stuff I mentioned but there's a lot more to the institute. A library, a collection of portraits of the First Ladies, and the Presidents, framed documents that were signed by Presidents...all kinds of stuff. It's a fascinating place.  I also met Katie Roberts, the Special Events Coordinator who had been communicating with me and she is just as bright and hard-working as I imagined.  I also want to mention Cindy Ward, another non-Texas native, like me, who immediately became a soul-mate. She is the Administrative Assistant at the Center.  A great group of people!

Around 11:30 Dr. Bob took me to lunch at the Country Club (I'm not fancy enough for Country Clubs but he was wonderful to take me there.)  Unfortunately, and if Bob is reading this he will find out for the first time, I was really feeling totally ill by that point. I really think all the driving and not sleeping well caught up with me for real that day, but it was such a busy day that I couldn't stop. I felt shaky and nauseous and I began to feel like I was hallucinating.  I tried to eat a little bit but I just couldn't eat much and I felt really bad about it because I know my host wanted me to have a wonderful day and that meal was part of it.  So I did the best I could and didn't say anything about how I was feeling.

Then we went over to rehearse with the choir and I met the choir director, Frank Eyechaner, who had helped me arrange The House on Christmas Street for Soprano, Alto, Bass and Tenor. I so enjoyed hearing the choir sing it and they were all just great young men and women and a lot of fun.  What a great experience to sing with a choir again! Thank you so much, kids. You made me really happy and you actually helped me feel energized with that rehearsal!

At 3pm we went over to a television station and I did an on-camera interview there. I don't know how it turned out but I tried to do my best, although I'm not sure everything I said came out right at that point. I was beginning to feel light-headed but I was trying to act like everything was normal.  Maybe you know how that is?  So I hope it came out okay but I just don't know.

Then we went over to the Ellen Noel Art Museum on the campus because that's where the afternoon and evening events were being held.  Around 4:45 I did a community concert  that was open to the public and was billed as as children's concert so I did a mix of Christmas songs and some of my original children's music.  There weren't a ton of kids there but the ones who were there seemed to have a good time, and some of the choir members joined me for "The House on Christmas Street" as a warm-up for our performance that evening.

Then I tried to take a nap again in the "green room" they had set up for me.  I actually sprawled out on the floor in the dark but, again, sleep just wouldn't come.  At 6:30 I put on my pantyhose, my dress and my make-up and made my appearance in the "Pancoast Lounge." This was a room in the museum that had been set up for an evening of music, food and socializing for patrons of the Institute.  They were serving a "Jingle Judy" cocktail which someone handed me...I don't know what kind of alcohol was in it but I took one sip and knew that if I drank anymore I'd fall flat down and no one would be getting me up! It did taste yummy, though.  I found a table and put it down and didn't pick it up again.

 I was introduced to a lot of very nice people and tried to make conversation and sound intelligent.  That was hard!  At one point I  wandered over to the buffet table which was piled with the most delicious looking assortment of food you've ever seen, and none of it appealed to me.  It was weird. I wish I felt like that every day.I wouldn't have a weight problem.  But no, in truth I just felt so .....bad.  I used to joke around when I'd hear that celebrities are hospitalized for "exhaustion" but I honestly think that on that day I probably should have been in a hospital! I'm sorry, Dr. Bob, if you are reading this. I tried to do my best to hide it and put on a good show for everyone, but in the back of my mind I was just concerned about staying upright because I felt like I was going to pass out any minute.

Finally I got up to sing and I was able to pull it off. The event folks at the University had built a stage and the art students created a cute backdrop for me and they even had a Bose sound system for me to use.  The audience was lovely and I even had a wonderful lady come up and sing Frosty the Snowman with me and she did a great job. The whole time I was saying prayers in my head, asking God to just help me do it and entertain everyone and make my host happy. Looking back on that night I'm so grateful that I was able to get through it without collapsing, because I truly felt like I was going to.  I was so happy when the choir came out to join me for "The House on Christmas Street."  They did a totally wonderful job and once again their youth and energy revived me, if only long enough to do that song and finish the concert.  I am thankful for each and every one of them!

Unfortunately, I had to decline Bob and Marianne's invitation to go over to their home on Shiloh Road after the concert to see the lights and visit with neighbors. I was there on my 2012 tour and it was all just magical, and I would have liked to see it again but by that time I knew that I absolutely had to try to get some sleep.  I hated disappointing them but they were very kind and understanding.

Now here's where things get really bad. I'd been wearing my boots all day....BAD MOVE on my part.  Every since I broke my ankle in 2006 I can't wear real heels, and even a short heel gives me problems if I wear it for too long.  And I, like an idiot, wore these boots all day because I wanted to look good.  When I took them off in the hotel room my ankle was swollen up so huge and throbbing and stabbing and then....guess what?  I couldn't get to sleep! I knew I had some Tylenol in my van but I just couldn't stand the thought of getting dressed and walking again and going down to the van so I just propped my foot up on a pillow and did the best I could.  I did get sleep here and there but the stabbing in my ankle kept waking me up, so it was yet another night of restlessness.  When I finally got up the next morning I remembered that I had another bottle of Tylenol right in my canvas bag in my room. AGH!!!  So I popped some of that stuff, put on my sneakers and went on my way.

Dr. Bob and Marianne, please know that I am so grateful for EVERYTHING you did to make it a special day for me. I appreciate all of it and I tried so hard to make it all worth it for you. I hope you got good feedback about the concerts and that everyone was happy.   I'm sorry I had to bail on you...if I had been feeling better I would have loved to go over and see your display.  Merry Christmas to both of you and thank you for making me feel so special.

And I'm going to end this post on a positive note:  The day's events raised over TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS for the Jr. League of Odessa, which contributes to the community in many worthwhile ways...so hooray!  It was all worth it!   THANK YOU to everyone involved, and Merry Christmas to all the great people I met that day.  You all helped me in ways you didn't even realized, and you all played a big part in making it possible for me to do what I came there to do.  I will never forget you.

And now, even though I'm not fully caught up on the blog yet, I have to get some sleep. Thank you for reading this and coming along on this journey with me!!

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